Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy With Estrogen Causing Gallstone Associated Acute Pancreatitis

Although estrogen is one of the main agents used to treat transgender women, there are few reports of acute pancreatitis (AP) of this illness in this group. The objective of this report is to describe a transgender woman who developed AP in the setting of estrogen treatment and gallstone disease.

A 38-year-old transgender woman presented with severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Her medical history included gender dysphoria managed with gender-affirming hormone therapy comprising estradiol valerate, progesterone, and spironolactone. Initial management involved supportive care, antibiotic therapy, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with biliary stent placement. Imaging confirmed acute interstitial edematous pancreatitis without necrosis, guiding treatment decisions toward laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Pathological examination revealed multiple gallstones, affirming the diagnosis of AP secondary to choledocholithiasis, likely associated with estrogen use. Postprocedural recovery was uneventful, with eventual removal of the biliary stent and resolution of symptoms.

There are only 7 reported cases in literature on estrogen-induced AP in transgender individuals undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy. Most of these were primarily linked to hypertriglyceridemia.

High-dose estrogen therapy in transgender women can elevate the risk of AP through the development of gallstones, underscoring the importance of thorough patient evaluation and discussion of risks assessment prior to initiating hormone therapy.